“Damn kids, get out of here!”
“What? Oh, sorry.” Darius grinned, reaching to pull Allie up. “We’ll … uh, get out of your way, sir.”
“Sorry.” Allie giggled and followed Darius through the curtains and back into the VIP room. She did her best to act like a silly teenager, but she was reeling inside, fighting to keep control of the rage that swelled within her and the tears that threatened to flow.
“It’s okay. He’ll be okay, Allie,” Darius assured her, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself.
“It’s not okay. We have to get him out of there.”
“We will. We still have time. They don’t plan to sell him for a year.”
“And what do you think they’re going to do to him in that time?” Allie snapped.
“Try to break him. But I know Quinn. He won’t make it easy for them.”
“You’re right.” Allie heaved a big sigh. She had to calm down.
“I’m so sorry about the … kiss.”
She knew he didn’t have a choice and it was the best way to get them out of there and dismissed as nothing more than a couple of stupid kids, but she hadn’t been prepared for his kiss. It wasn’t at all what she would have expected. They had such a great connection that she’d expected it to be … hot. Maybe it was just the situation, but something was off. Like the chemistry just wasn’t there despite their obvious fascination with each other.
“It’s okay. It was a good plan.”
They made their way quietly back to the arena in an awkward silence.
“I feel like a dirty old man,” Darius said.
“You shouldn’t. I’ve been around you long enough to know you’re the least mature of us all.”
“True.” He laughed. “But that is not something that needs to happen again. At least not till you’re in college.”
“It’s fine.” She elbowed him playfully, hoping he would snap out of it. “It just caught me by surprise, that’s all. And the little passenger in my brain is probably not too happy with me right now for a number of reasons.”
He didn’t have much of a choice, Lex. I’d have done the same thing. But you know I can feel what you feel. It was bad enough with Vince, but please don’t make a habit of kissing my brother. I’m nauseous right now.
Actually, I'm a little nauseous too.
Enough with the risk-taking tonight, please? You almost gave me a heart attack.
We’ve got what we came for, Aidan. She wanted to let herself have a good freak out, but they couldn't risk letting the shock of what they just discovered overwhelm them. We’re going to get him out of there.
Damn straight we are. Dad will know what to do. Hell, he’ll buy him if that’s the only way.
“Knock it off, Allie,” Darius said. “You’re going all glassy-eyed again and it’s kinda obvious you aren’t talking to me.”
“Sorry.”
“Is he freaking?”
“Not really, just trying to keep his lunch down.”
“Come on, us making out is not that disgusting.”
“He can feel what I’m feeling. So just then it was kinda like he was the one making out with you.”
“No. No. No. Unsay it, Red. Please unsay it.”
“Next time give me a little warning and I’ll block him.”
“There is not going to be a next time, killer. That was weird.”
“It was weird, wasn’t it? I thought it was just the situation.”
“Maybe. But let’s leave it a mystery.”
“Let’s.”
Allie glanced down at the glowing hand-print on his shoulder. “Looks like you’re up next, Dare.”
~~~
Darius fought well in the first round of his fight against a much smaller guy. But when his opponent trotted out his gift, landing every single punch with the strength of a man three times his size, Darius was quick to take a dive and bring an end to the fight. They had much more important things to focus their attention on anyway.
Allie was eager to leave, but it would draw far too much attention if they attempted to slip out. She stayed close to her friends and prayed for a quick and painless end to the night.
It’ll be over soon and then we can get to work on getting Quinn out of that place.
But what do we really know now that we didn’t know before? Other than the slavery thing?
We know for sure now that Amrita is connected with Soma and they are the ones taking kids like Quinn. We know they are affiliated with the Coalition and the Senate, but they seem to be working independently of either group. We know a lot more, Lex. We’re getting him back.
Allie thought about Jim’s cryptic warning and wasn’t sure what to make of it. Clearly he was indicating something about her dreams, but she still wasn’t sure what she was seeing or how she should react to the visions that didn’t make any sense.
Her gaze drifted around the arena. Everyone was having a good time and the atmosphere grew more celebratory the closer they came to the melee.
Aidan groaned when the mark on Chloe’s shoulder lit up and it was her turn. “I don’t think I can watch this,” he said.
“She’s a great fighter, Aidan. She kicked my ass for months. She’ll do fine.” She watched as Chloe took her place in the arena, looking so small, but fierce at the same time. Armed with her bo staff and her subtle gift, Chloe launched against her opponent, fading to the right at the last second when he attempted to strike her from the left.
Remember, she can see the decisions he’s faced with so she knows what his best move is before he makes it.
Right, her path of least resistance. Aidan grinned. She’s definitely making him work for it.
Allie thought Chloe would run the poor guy till he fell from exhaustion, but eventually, she started giving him the upper hand. Inch by inch, she made small mistakes that allowed her opponent to land a strike.
“She’s doing a better job at throwing her fight than the rest of us combined,” Sasha muttered.
“She’s a lot stronger than we give her credit,” Allie agreed.
“And she’s a hell of a lot smarter than we are,” Aidan said.
“Speak for yourself.” Graham gave him a playful punch.
“Are we all done with this part now?” Allie asked hopefully. “We’ve all fought and lost, right?” She had technically won her fight against Naomi, but they got such low marks for a sloppy fight, they didn’t qualify to move on.
“Yup,” Graham said.
“So none of us will be in the melee?”
“Too bad. Any other time and I would have won this shit,” Aidan said wistfully.
“Maybe next time you can beat the hell out of everyone.” Allie patted his arm in mock sympathy.
“Let’s get seats. This could take a while,” Sasha said.
Allie followed her friends to the benches set up around the arena. The last fights were wrapping up and the twelve best winners of the night were chosen to compete in the final. The last one standing would win.
“What do they get?” Allie asked absently. “A trophy?”
“Fifty thousand dollars,” Aidan said.
“I’m glad I didn’t know that,” she said. She would have been tempted to go for it. That was college tuition. Darius had really made her think about the future and the finances she didn’t have. Her parents would only be around for so long. After that, she was on her own forever.
I’m pretty sure between your bio dad and your Viking brother there are probably already a couple of substantial trust funds sitting around earmarked for your future.
I have issues taking money I haven’t earned.
That’s an argument for another day, Lex. Aidan nodded at the center arena.
The twelve best of the night stood ready for the final round and Allie wasn’t sure she wanted to watch. Within the first two minutes of the melee, she was positive she didn’t want to watch, but like a train wreck, she couldn’t look away.
“It’s like Shark W
eek. They’re just tearing at each other.”
“I’ll admit, I’m kinda glad I’m not down there,” Aidan said, wincing with the crowd as one guy with a gift for causing confusion among the others took out two at a time when they collided against each other with their weapons drawn.
“It’s so bloody.” Allie cringed. “What happened to the ‘don’t put anyone in the hospital’ rule?”
“They’re fine. It’s all superficial,” Darius said. “But that girl in the middle is going to win it.”
“She seems so little.” Allie shook her head.
“Size doesn’t matter here. She’s drawing strength from the fight. The more they fight, the stronger she gets.”
Allie watched, mesmerized as the petite blond stayed in it until it was just her and the giant wall of Jeremy Lang that Aidan had faced.
“She’s got him,” Aidan said. “He’s all about intimidation and size, but she’s quick and she’s got all of the strength of the other ten fighters pumping her up.”
It was bizarre, seeing the barely five-foot teen bring down the huge brawn of her opponent, but he landed with a thud, his energy and stamina completely spent.
“He passed out?” Aidan stood up, craning his neck to see.
“Did she drain the big guy?” Darius laughed.
“She waited until she had only one opponent left and she sucked up all his stamina.” Allie laughed. It was a brilliant strategy. “I like her style.” She was happy to see the girl win and she hoped she’d actually get the money and not have any repercussions for it later. But at the last second, Allie saw the small brand on the girl’s ankle. Like Jim, she seemed to be a slave working the Amrita crowd. Of course they would have planted one of their own as the winner so they’d never actually have to pay the money.
“Can we get out of here now? This place is giving me the skeevies.”
“We still have the party, Lex.”
Can’t we just sneak out?
We need to play by their rules. Pretend like we’re having the time of our lives and then we can go home.
As everyone drifted into the lobby—the place that had just held a slave auction for kids just like all of them—the atmosphere really began to change. The thump of music grabbed Allie’s attention and the lights dimmed. She could feel the pull of the party; even her blood seemed to respond to the atmosphere, like a drug.
Someone is trying to make sure we enjoy this, Aidan muttered.
Should we resist it?
I don’t think that’s a good idea. Aidan cast furtive glances at the others. It seemed like they didn’t have much choice but to give in to the mysterious influence. Let’s give in about forty-five percent. Maybe they won’t notice if we’re not as into it as everyone else.
Allie wasn’t in the mood for a party and she was having trouble going with the flow.
“Come on, Red, let’s dance. I bet I can get you to relax.” Aidan pulled her onto the dance floor.
The music was loud and the revelry was at an all-time high.
“All right, why not.” The last of her resolve cracked and she yielded to the night. Fifty-five percent of her was ashamed of herself for daring to have fun when Quinn was in such a precarious position. But forty-five percent of her was on cloud nine.
~~~
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
“You think they’ll be waiting on us at the marina or at home?” Allie asked as she slipped into the backseat of the nondescript car Aidan had left parked at Tower City mall earlier in the week. They needed to be very careful after leaving Amrita. To make sure they weren’t followed, they walked around the city, stopping for breakfast at a local cafe before they circled back to the car at Tower City. Allie was with Darius, Sasha, and Aidan; the others were with Naomi and Erin. They were going to meet back at the marina and head home together.
“They might not realize what we we’ve been up to,” Sasha said.
“They know,” Allie said. “It’s just a matter of how mad they are at this point.”
“Once we tell them what we discovered, they’ll have other matters on their mind. Dad’s probably not going to be in a listening mood, though.” Sasha looked worried. Now that it was over and they accomplished what they’d set out to do, it was time to face the music, and none of them were looking forward to it.
“I’ll probably take the brunt of it,” Darius said as he drove toward the marina at Edgewater Park. “I’m supposed to know better.”
When they arrived, Naomi and the others were already there. And so were Gregg, Daniel, Liam, and Greyson, Naomi’s father. None of them looked too pleased with their children—or in Allie’s case, it was her brother glaring daggers at her.
“Liam looks bigger when he’s mad,” Allie said nervously. “How does he do that?”
“Let’s just get this part done, guys,” Aidan said. “I’ll take as much responsibility for it as I can.”
They all stepped out of the car and into the silent morning. Naomi stood by her father with her head hanging low and her ears bright red in embarrassment. The others seemed to be on the boat already.
“Sasha, Darius, go with the others,” Gregg said softly.
“Naomi and I will be leaving now,” Greyson said. “I just wanted to make sure you all got here in one piece. I’ll sweep the area, Gregg. Make sure they weren’t followed.”
“We weren’t followed,” Naomi said.
“None of you are experienced enough to know what the hell you’re doing in a place like that, which is why I told you not to go! You want to be an adult, Naomi, then act like one. Make better decisions.”
For once, Allie identified with Naomi. She was just a kid like the others. She’d messed up and had to pay the consequences like the rest of them. Allie tried giving her a sympathetic look, but Naomi was as abrasive as ever, ignoring Allie’s gesture.
“Gregg, Daniel. I apologize for my daughter’s part in all of this. She is hot-headed, and far too spoiled. We will rethink her position at the school. If she can’t be trusted, then maybe she needs more training and less freedom. Like when she was the sixteen-year-old.”
Allie actually felt sorry for her. To be embarrassed like that in front of everyone was probably more than the high-spirited girl could take.
“To be fair, Greyson, she only came with Erin and Dean. I’m the one who brought the others and she tore me a new one for it,” Darius offered.
“Thanks, Dare,” Naomi mumbled before she darted to the car and slammed the door behind her.
“I will speak with you later,” Gregg said, pointing to the boat with a glare. Darius cast a glance at Allie and Aidan and joined Daniel and the others. Allie was surprised when the boat pulled away from the dock. Apparently, she and Aidan were in the most trouble.
Allie trembled nervously as she watched Gregg’s jaw tighten and flex. He was barely in control of his anger.
“Da, I’m sorry—” Aidan barely managed to get the words out before Gregg whirled around and slammed him up against the boathouse. His head made a crunching noise against the wall as the stucco cracked and fell to the ground.
“I don’t want to hear it, Aidan. Not this time.” Gregg gripped him by the collar, his face red with rage. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Aidan’s eyes blazed with fury and hurt. He’d never seen his father this angry.
“Not here, Gregg,” Liam said. “Let’s go.”
“Liam?” Allie whispered uncertainly.
“Do not speak to me yet, little one. I am too angry. Let's just go.” No one spoke as Liam guided the small racing boat out of the boathouse and headed for open water. The quarters were cramped inside and the tension was palpable. The yelling started once they were away from shore.
“How could you be stupid enough to risk going there?” Gregg finally asked.
“It’s supposed to be discreet,” Aidan said. “That’s supposed to be the main draw.”
“But it’s not, is it. You found that out, didn’
t you?”
“Yeah.” Allie nodded reluctantly. She wouldn’t let Aidan take all the blame for this. “It’s not his fault, Gregg. I have a mind of my own. I could have said no.”
“And why didn’t you?” Liam asked, not looking at her.
“We didn’t go there for fun,” she muttered.
“Aye, you went to stick your noses in things you’ve no business sticking your noses in. I know you kids want to help Quinn, but you have to trust us to take care of it. You think we weren’t capable of having people there tonight?”
“The bouncer, Da? You know as well as I do he had no hope of finding anything. The Amrita people are affiliated with that Livia woman. We know that for sure now,” Aidan said. “She has him. He’s not in some Coalition prison. If there was ever a chance to find out something you couldn’t possibly find out on your own, it was at Amrita last night. And none of your people could get in there like we did.”
Allie admired the way he stood up to his father, but she wasn’t so sure now was the right time.
“It wasn’t worth the risk, son.”
“Quinn’s not worth it? How can you say that?” Aidan gave his father a look of disgust.
“Our world is not ready for you two,” Gregg growled. “They might not ever be ready. You have the kind of power the rest of us can only dream of. And you’ve put that power on display to the wrong people.”
“We didn’t show all our cards, Gregg. We’re not that stupid,” Allie said.
The boat began to slow, but they were still miles away from Kelleys Island. She glanced at Liam and saw he was gripping the steering wheel so hard she was certain it would disintegrate at any moment.
Finally he turned toward her and was suddenly in her face, his icy blue eyes sparking with anger. “You are too important to risk, Allie.” He towered over her, trapping her between his long arms. Allie backed up, but there was no escaping his anger.
“I’m sorry, Liam,” she whispered, feeling the threat of tears choking her throat.
“There is nothing about you that wouldn’t attract attention, Allie. With that hair, your power, and with all of you there as a group, you call attention to yourselves. You all are so sheltered … you don’t know how intimidating and impressive you all are as a group. Don’t think for a moment that people won’t be talking about all of you. Especially the redheaded spitfire they saw tonight. Do you have any idea what that could mean? I don’t know how to protect you from that kind of attention, short of shaving your head so you’re not so recognizable. And don’t think I won’t do it.”
Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2) Page 17
